Opening another front against India along the Line of Actual Control, China has mobilized People's Liberation Army soldiers near Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass, Times Now News (TNN) reported Saturday.
While China talks about disengagement and maintaining peace along the LAC, it is clear that Beijing is solidifying its position in the garb of peace talks which are going on at diplomatic and military level, according to TNN.
Several media reports have indicated that China is bolstering its position in the depth areas along the LAC.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, China has amassed troops across the LAC at Lipulekh Pass, parts of North Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Lipulekh Pass has been in the news from the past few months after Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km road to which Nepal objected and released a revised map showing Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani as its territory.
The new road will connect the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand with Kailash Mansarovar route in China.
Nepal provoked India again when it sent revised map to United Nations and Google.
The understanding in New Delhi is that Kathmandu's new belligerence over an old dispute was at the tacit behest of China.
Indian Army chief Gen. MM Naravane had remarked that Kathmandu was objecting to the newly built road by India near the disputed area at the behest of "someone else".
Meanwhile, the PLA has disengaged from patrolling points 14 (Galwan), 15-16 (Hot Springs), they are yet to vacate forward location at patrolling point 17 A (Gogra) apart from withdrawing from the Pangong Tso.
With no sign of early resolution of the border row before the onset of winter, India is preparing for the long haul and has deployed an additional 35,000 troops along the China border.
With Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) dragging its feet on restoring the status quo ante along the 1,597km Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector, the Indian Army has started preparing for a long winter as it does not want a repeat of April 2020 next year, according to Hindustan Times.
Top government officials confirmed that the Indian Army has asked its defense attaches posted in embassies in the US, Russia and Europe to identify warm clothes and snow tent manufacturers in case there is a need for emergency purchases.
After Operation Meghdoot in Siachen in 1984 when India seized the glacier from Pakistan, the Indian Army gets all its requirements fulfilled by local manufacturers with regard to igloos, semi-hemispherical domes, Down parkas, snow goggles, boots and gloves for troops guarding the heights in the western sector.
In his memoirs, former Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf states that Pakistan lost 985.71 sq mi of territory. Time magazine also states that the Indian advance captured 985.71 sq mi of territory claimed by Pakistan. Camps were soon converted to permanent posts by both countries. The number of casualties on both sides during this particular operation is not known. [Wikipedia]